Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to the wonderful CLAMP, not me.

Sensei, I Love You
Chapter 1
By Sakura aka Michelle

As expected, Sakura turned up late for work and had to endure the harsh scolding from her angry boss. She winced inwardly every time her boss raised her voice as it was piercing to the ears. It was a wonder that Sakura could survive through the whole year in this café. The manager may have been difficult to handle, but the pay was fabulous. After all, this was the famous "Maid Café" and it was popular for its top-notched service, pretty maids and, not forgetting to mention, its revealing maid uniform. Men seemed to flock to "Maid Café" just to ogle at their maids.

Each and every maid in the café was assigned to wear a specific coloured uniform. Sakura was assigned to wearing the one-piece pink maid uniform with a white apron. It was extremely lacy and low cut, with puffy sleeves and layered skirts. The fabric was stretched tautly across her chest as if it was her second skin. To her annoyance, she often caught many of her male customers ogling at her chest, even though she was not as well-endowed as the rest of the maids.

Honestly, Sakura had trouble getting used to her maid uniform and definitely not used to people staring at her so openly. She often found herself adjusting the front of her uniform frequently and fidgeting uncomfortably under the intense gaze of her customers when she took their orders. Despite all these shortcomings, she stayed on the job for survival. She needed the money to pay for her rent and other necessities.

"I tolerated your mistakes for as long as I could remember." The manager's voice was shrill as she continued ranting at Sakura. "Why is it that you were always late for work this year? There weren't such problems from you last year! As our café's beloved maids, we should uphold our service standards but I caught you yawning so many times during your working hours. If these continue, I will dismiss you from service. I don't want to put my café's reputation at risk. Should you make one more mistake—even if it's a minor one—I am going to have to let you go and half whatever salary you are owed. Do we have an understanding, Kinomoto-san?"

Sakura gulped and nodded her head. One last chance! I have to do whatever I can! I need this month's salary to pay my rent urgently! A tray of food was placed on the kitchen counter with a slip indicating the table number and Sakura hurriedly went to serve it to the customer, putting on her best smile which faltered once she saw the customer.

The man has brown hair and clear amber eyes. He was grinning at her. Yes, that man sitting there was her homeroom teacher. He has removed his tie and formal jacket but still looked as handsome as he was in the class. That was not the problem Sakura had in her mind. Her hands shook as she carefully placed the tray on the table before removing the dish and serving it to Syaoran. He was drooling on his food and staring at it unabashedly. Sakura was thankful for his distraction.

Did he realize it was me? Sakura thought nervously and she quickly retreated back to the kitchen. The school has a strict rule that stated that students were not allowed to hold part-time. What's worst was that Sakura had totally skipped school. If Sakura was not so hard-pressed for money, she would not have broken her school rule secretly and now, she was discovered by her homeroom teacher. She patted her cheeks hard and fought to control her emotions. It's going to be all right. I changed my hairstyle a little and added strong make-up to my face. I am beyond recognition and besides, Li-sensei did not react when he saw me. Perhaps he did not see through my skillful make-up? I will have to be careful out there and make sure to stay out of his sight before anything drastic happens.

Somehow, Sakura was grateful that there were not many customers at the time and many of them were taken care of by her colleagues. She heaved a sigh of relief from the hideout in the kitchen while secretly checking on Syaoran by peeking out from her hidden location.

Why is he eating so slowly? Is he doing it on purpose to torture me? Oh wait, he is ordering something. Desserts? Guys and desserts?

Her colleague who took down Syaoran's order passed her the order chit because she was already blocking the path to the kitchen. Sakura scanned through the contents of the order and her eyes widened at the amount of chocolate desserts her teacher has ordered.

One… Two… Three… Four… Four? He ordered four different desserts? I didn't know he was that fond of chocolates… Sakura smacked the top of her own head at her thought. Why must I know so much about him? It is not as if I am interested about him… Oh wait, I need to pass the order chit to the pastry chef…

The bell at the entrance jingled as some new customers came in. Sakura surveyed the café area and found that her colleagues were all preoccupied with their own customers and not to mention that the manager was eyeing her intensely as if passing some unspoken messages. If you don't work then you will get no pay from me!

Sakura did some breathing exercises to calm herself down before rushing out to greet the customers. They were waiting to be shown to their seats. Sakura looked around and was dismayed to find that the only table available that was big enough to accommodate the big group was the one next to Syaoran. She fought to maintain the professional smile on her face as she ushered her customers towards the vacant seats. She handed them a menu each with a forced smile and stood there patiently for their order. She had to endure the speculative glances that she knew Syaoran were shooting at her. She angled her body in such a way that her teacher would not be able to take a good look at her face.

Sakura's customers finally made their orders after long moments of indecision. Her heels clicked loudly on the tiled floor as she made a mad dash to the kitchen with their order chit. She passed the order chit to the pastry chef and slid down into a puddle on the floor, finally overcome by the tension within her.

"Sara-chan," The pastry chef called out impatiently, using Sakura's café name. "The order is ready. Bring them out or it'll turn cold."

Sakura blinked. She was totally unaware that she had blanked out for quite some time. She hurriedly took the tray full of food and hot drinks which that big group ordered. It was a difficult task to balance the tray as it was much bigger than what she could normally handle. Sakura paused and was about to turn to get a smaller tray to split the items to a few trips but she caught the angry glint in the chef's eyes. She gulped and was out in the customer area in an instant, carrying the heavy tray on unsteady feet.

Li-sensei is still here! Sakura mentally shouted to herself as she eyed him intently, hoping that he would not look up from munching on his desserts. However, her luck was just not with her. She was too focused on her teacher and she tripped on the steps. With a shriek of alarm, she went crashing down to the ground and gained the attention of all staff and customers immediately.

She felt her face turn red at the looks they were giving her. She eyed the spilt food in dismay and rubbed the scorched skin on the top of her hand, a result of spilt hot coffee. Her colleagues were assuring the guests as she picked herself up. She turned wide-eyed when Syaoran was already beside her and helping her up. He was staring at her scorched hand with a grim expression. Without warning, she was pulled to the kitchen's sink and was forced to cool her hands in running water. She let out a sigh of content when the burning sensation subsided and tugged her hands away from Syaoran's to wipe them dry on her apron.

"You shouldn't be working," he said and was dragging his fingers through his messy hair in exasperation. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Why should you care?" Sakura retorted as she tried to walk away to clear the mess she had made. She suddenly hoped her manager was not around to witness her embarrassing moment. "It's not as if you are my family."

"I care," he interrupted, causing Sakura's heart to stop beating at his simple words. "I care about you more than I should."

"You're crazy," Sakura replied and struggled to free her hand from his grasp. He only tightened it and made her escape impossible. Her colleagues stared at her in the kitchen and she cringed at the manager's dark scowl. She had obviously made a mistake in her work. There was no doubt that the manager would want to inflict punishment on her. That punishment alone could get her kicked out of her current small rented apartment. "Let go of me. I'm still working."

"No, you're not," Syaoran said and his expression hardened. Sakura gulped, wondering what he meant. Of course she had to be working, otherwise where would she get the money to pay for her rent?

"Please just let me work," Sakura pleaded softly, not wanting others to hear what they were saying. "I need this job. Heck, I need all the jobs I am having. I really need them."

Syaoran ignored her and continued nursing the burn on the back of her hand. He turned off the tap and before she knew it, he was issuing an order to her colleagues. "First-aid kit?"

The manager puffed her chest, looking livid at Syaoran's sudden authoritative tone. She took a threatening step forward but was pushed to the side by one very anxious waitress. Her hands fumbled on the first-aid kit as she handed it over to Syaoran and even managing to open it for him. She seemed very worried about the burn.

"Sir, you can't just waltz into our kitchen as if this place belongs to you!" the manager screeched.

"She's injured. Besides, she's my responsibility now," Syaoran told the manger calmly, shocking Sakura even further. His responsility? Sakura wondered if he knew what he was talking about. It was as if he had suddenly gone crazy. She wasn't even that close to him.

"Good!" The manager exclaimed, her frown intensifying. "Because she is no longer in our employment."

Sakura paled immediately and her chest felt constricted, making it difficult for her to breathe. "What?" she gasped a few moments later, looking at the triumphed face of the manager.

"I told you earlier. One more mistake and you are out. What you did out there was a mistake—a big mistake. Being the good manager that I am, I'm still going to pay you your full salary for today."

Sakura jerked away from Syaoran, glaring at him. It was his fault that she had lost her concentration. That instant was enough to create a big disaster. The manager's gleeful expression was enough to tell her that she'd not be able to persuade the manager to give her job back and it was useless to try.

"Fine, I'll accept your kind offer and leave after I'm paid," Sakura said resignedly. She turned to leave but was blocked by Syaoran, who was looking down at her. "You! Get out of my life you useless teacher."

"No way!" Syaoran chirped and followed her.

Sakura let out a defeated sigh and stopped suddenly. Syaoran almost crashed into her. His quick reflex was the only thing that prevented her from a painful fate on the cold hard floor. "Look... You have created enough trouble for me already. Stop following around and leave me in peace. Now I have to look for another job so that I can have a place to stay."

"You are worried about being homeless?" Syaoran asked. "Is that why you are working so hard and missing school?"

"What do you think?" Sakura asked, indicating her frilly attire. She would die of embarrassment if she were to wear this in public but she was willing to wear it for her job. "I'm not like other people, who are fortunate enough to have a secured place to live in. I have to work hard to have a decent place to sleep. So, I beg you… Just leave me be. It's not as if the school can provide me the money I need for the rental if I start attending lessons."

"If that is what you are worried about, I have a proposition for you."

"I have no time to listen to all your nonsense, Li-sensei. I need to look for another job to keep me alive," Sakura said dismissively, turning to the staff room to get her belongings and to change out of her uniform.

Syaoran did not follow her into the room, so she was blessed with a few moments of solitude in which she wallowed in self-pity. Tears welled up in her eyes as she walked to her locker. By the time she opened her locker, tears were streaming down her cheeks. The rent was due and what she currently has wasn't enough. The landlord would probably toss out her belongings into the streets again and she won't have enough money to bargain with the landlord. If only she had other relatives she could rely upon. Then, she wouldn't be in such a sticky situation. She would most probably have to sleep on the streets again.

There was nothing much for her to pack. She quickly changed out of her uniform and tossed it into the laundry basket near the door. Of all her jobs, this was the only one that paid a higher salary but at the same time, she had to endure the manager's attitude and sometimes harassment from the guests.

She dried her tears on her shirt sleeves and was determined not to let this single setback hinder her job hunt. She would have to find the next best job available on the street and make do with it. She wouldn't want to sleep on the street no matter what it takes. It's just too dangerous since she would be alone and not to mention the attention from the unmentionable kind of people she would draw. She shuddered at the thought of that. Best to get to work! Oh! And to get her current day's salary from the manager before she left the café. After all, she did earn it by working hard.

Steadying herself, she exited the room and bumped straight into Syaoran, who was standing right in front of the door. Sakura rubbed her bruised nose and cursed Syaoran for standing in her way. "Language," Syaoran reminded with an amused smile. He held up an envelope to her and she accepted it curiously. "That's your pay for today. So, are you ready to go?"

Sakura's head shot up so fast that she was amazed she didn't sustain a crick. "What?"

"I asked if you are ready to go."

Sakura eyed Syaoran suspiciously, wondering if he had any ulterior motives. "I'm not going to go anywhere with you, you stupid teacher."

"How can you be so rude to me? I'm your teacher! Your handsome looking homeroom teacher!" He exclaimed, thumping a fist onto his chest with pride.

Sakura rolled her eyes at his dramatic display. She sidestepped him and made her way to the back exit, where the staff usually used so as not to disrupt the customers. She only managed to take a few steps outside before Syaoran caught up to her and grabbed her hands, dragging her away forcefully. "Hey! I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"You want a roof over your head? Consider it done! We'll go to your current place and collect all your belongings. You are coming with me."

"What?" Sakura knew she must be gaping and looking very ridiculous. She was hoping that she had heard him wrongly. Go to his place? He must be insane! Sakura renewed her struggles against him, trying to pull away from him but he only tightened his grasp on her. She grunted in exertion and finally gave up.

"That's a good girl," Syaoran commented teasingly. If looks could kill, he would have died by now.

Sakura was already devising some ways to get rid of him. She could ask him to wait outside her house while she pack her belongings and just leave him there with no intention of coming out. There was no way that she was going to follow him anywhere. He's a guy for goodness sake. Besides, he was her teacher and one should never follow a guy to some unknown places. Who knew what dangers would be lurking there? Better be safe than sorry. Satisfied with that plan, Sakura followed him meekly and was a little surprised that he knew the way to her place. He must have memorized it from the school register. Oh, the perks of being a teacher. How convenient.

It took them little time to reach Sakura's place since the café was near. The journey was quiet and awkward. Sakura couldn't help but realize how big Syaoran's hand was and immediately felt like smacking herself on the head for having that insane thought. He was her teacher for goodness sake and she shouldn't be fantasizing anything about him. He definitely was a bad influence on her.

Sakura wasn't surprised to find her belongings at the gates of the small house in which she had rented a room to stay. Her landlord had packed her things for her and thrown them haphazardly outside. Feeling suddenly ashamed for her current situation, Sakura bowed her head and refused to look at Syaoran for fear of seeing the look of pity in his eyes. She tugged her hand away from him easily and went to collect her stuff, checking through the items to make sure that everything she had was out there. Her actions were stiff but she kept her tears at bay. It wasn't a good time to break down in front of an audience. She would never live down to that.

"These are all your things?" Syaoran asked, eyeing the two big bags that Sakura was holding on to as if they were her precious items. "Nothing else?"

Sakura shook her head and took in a huge breath to steady herself. "If there isn't anything else, then I shall make my move. Thanks for sending me back."

"Where are you going?" Syaoran reached out to grab onto one of the cumbersome bags. "You are coming with me."

"To where?"

"To my place of course!"

Thanks for reading and the reviews for Prologue. Please be assured that I've read each and every wonderful reviews. I'll strive even harder to improve my stories. :) Next chapter will be up next weekend after editing it! See you next week as well!